Switch-operating device



(Nomen W.l I'. DEEMODY.

SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE.

Patented June 26, 1894.

INVENTOH MMA/u ATTORNEYS W/TESSES:

, NITED STAT-Es j PATENT OFFICE.

' WILLIAM F. DERMODY, OF BROOKLYN, YORK.

SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 522,109, dated .Tune26,1894.

Application led April 4, 1894. Serial No. 506,325. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. DERMODY, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedSwitch-Operating Device, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

Myinvention relates to an improvement in switch operating devices, andit has for its object to provide such a device capable of being operatedfrom a car while the latteris in motion, the operative mechanism of thesaid device being exceedingly simple, durable and economic in itsconstruction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means whereby after acar has passed upon a switch it will automatically set the switch pointfor the main track.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views. Y

Figure 1 is a plan view of the switch operating device, a portion of thecovering over the box thereof being removed; and Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical section taken essentially on the line 2-2 of Fig.1.

In carrying out the invention the rails of the main track are designatedas A and A', the rails of the switch or siding track as B and B', whilethe switch point is designated as C, and moves upon the usual platformC. The switch point is pivoted at its heel, and a bar 10 is attached tothe pivot of the said switch point beneath the platform upon which thepoint moves, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l and in positive lines inFig. 2. The said arm or bar 10, is practically parallel with the switchpoint, and is provided with a recess 11 in one side at its free end. Apit D, is formed in the ground vbetween the main rails adjacent to theswitch, the said pit being normally covered by a plate D. A locking bar12 is pivoted to one side of this pit, as shown best in Fig. 1, and thesaid locking bar is normally in engagementv with the reeessed portion 11of the actuating arm 10 of the switch point, the locking bar 12 beingusually horizontally located, or practically so. This locking bar isheld in its locking position by attaching to one of its sides, near itspivot point preferably, a rope or chain 13, which is passed over a guidepulley 14., located in said pit D, and a weight 15, is secured to thelower end of the said rope or chain, as illustrated in both of thefigures. At the opposite side of the locking bar, and opposite the pointof attachment of the rope or chain l5, a second rope or chain 16, isattached to said bar, and this rope or chain 16 is led away from theswitch, or in an opposite direction to the rope orv chain 13, and isattached at one end to a lever 17, fulcrumed in the pit near the topthereof, the said lever being made to extend upward through an opening1S in the cover D of the pit, and above said cover, as shown best inFig. 2. A third rope or chain 19, is'attached to the lever 17 above itspivot point, and is led away from the switch over a pulley 20, and isattached to a weight 21. The two weights 15 and 2l, are preferably madeto balance one another.

The switch point is moved in a direction to close the switch and openthe main line through the medium of ashifting lever 22, which isfulcrumed in the extension of the pit D, adjacent to the outer switchrail B, be-

ing made to extend upward through a slot 23 in the cover plate of thepit extension. The lever 22 is attached to a rock shaft 24., journaledin bearings located in the extension pit, and the said rock shaft isprovided with a crank arm 24a, which crank arm has attached to it oneend of a chain or cable 25, the said chain or cable being carried indirection of the switch point, being passed over a guide pulley 26,usuallylocated upon the bottom of the switch platform C', and is thensecured to the outer side of the actuating arln 10 of the switch pointat or near the center of said arm, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Immediately opposite the attachment of the chain or cable 25 to theactuating arm of the switch point, a second rope or cable 27, isattached to the opposite or inner side 'of said arm, and is carried overthe guide pulley 28 located in the pit D, and is secured to a weight 29,the weight 29 being sufficiently heavy to open the nswitch point bydrawing the shifting arm 10 inwardly when the lock- IOO ing bar l2 isdisengaged from the said arm, thus opening the way tothe switch orsiding track.

In operation, when a car approaches the switch, a projection from theplatform, or body, or truck of the car is made to engage with the outerend of the lever 17; and upon depressing the said lever the locking bar12 will be carried out of engagement with the actuating arm 10 of theswitch point, and i1nmediately the Weight 29 attached to said arm willact to draw the arm inward and open the switch, giving passage to thesiding. The Switch point will remain in this open position until the caror cars have passed a sufficient distance on the siding to clear theswitch point, whereupon one wheel of one of the cars will strike thesiding lever 22, compressing the same, and thereby will draw the switchpoint outward, or to a closed position, opening up the main line, and atthat time the weights l5 and 2l will balance themselves,

restoring the lever 17 to its normal position and causing the lockingbar to again enter in locking engagement with the switch point.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent@- 1. In a switch operating device, the combination,with a switch point and a shifting arm attached to the pivot of the saidpoint, of a locking bar normally in engagement with the said shiftingarm, counterbalance weights connected with opposite sides of the lockingbar, and a shifting lever adapted to be operated by a passing car, andconnected with the locking bar and located between the weights, and alever located at the opposite side of the switch point to the shiftinglever of the locking bar, the second lever being connected with theshifting arm of the switch point, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a switch operating device, the combination, with a switch point,and a shifting arm attached to the pivot of the said point,

of a locking bar normally in locking engagement with the said shiftin garm, counterbalance weights connected with opposite sides oi? thelocking bar, a shifting lever adapted to be operated by a passing car,connected with the locking bar and located between the weights, a leverlocated at the` opposite side of the switch point to the shifting leverot the locking bar, the second lever being connected with the shiftingarm of the switch point, and a weighted chain or cable connected withthe shifting arm of the switch point, the welght acting upon the saidarm in a direction opposite to its shifting lever, as and for thepurpose specified.

3. The combination, with the main rails of a track, the siding rails andswitch point of said track, and an actuating arm attached to the switchpoint at its pivot point, said arm being provided with a recess in itsfree en d, ot' a shifting lever located between the main rails oppositethe free end ofthe switch point, a weighted cable attached to the saidlever above its pivot point, a second cable attached to the said leverbelow its pivot, a pivoted locking bar adapted to enter the recessedportion of the switch arm, said locking bar being attached to the saidsecond cableof the shifting lever, and a third cable attached to theopposite side of the locking bar and provided With a weightconnterbalancing the Weight on the first cable, a shifting leverflocatednear one of the siding rails and connected with the crank shaft, thecrank shaft being in cable connection with the outer side of theshifting arm of the switch point, and a weighted cable connected withthe opposite side of the said shifting arm, substantially as shown anddescribed, whereby the locking bar holds the switch point in a givenposition and the weight attached to the shiftingarm shifts the switchpoint when it is not con trolled by the locking bar, as and for thepurpose specified.

WILLIAM F. DERMODY.

Witnesses:

J. FRED Acnnn, JN0. M. RITTER,

